Blood Under the Mistletoe
by Rose-Oracle
Summary: Axel thought spending a week at a luxurious hotel would be nice. He did not think about a murder happening at the hotel, being witnessed by the blonde pianist he had taken a fancy to... AU, AkuRoku. First in a yaoi mystery trilogy.
1. Chapter 1

Hey, hey! (waves)

So, you guys are probably all wondering "Rose, what are you doing, writing a multi-chapter AkuRoku when you have 'Stroke of Midnight' and 'An Encounter of the Mary Sue Kind' to update?"

Well, I got this idea after having a dream where Roxas and Axel worked in a hotel, I was a guest, and there was a murder.

I decided to fix it up a little, work out the glitches, and put up my first AkuRoku! So, here it is!

And, this story takes place somewhere in the late 1800s-early 1900s. Use your imagination!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. That is the brainchild of Disney and Square-Enix.

Also, this is the first of a yaoi mystery trilogy. Second in the series will be Zemyx, and it will end with SoRiku.

Let the AkuRoku goodiness begin! Enjoy! Oh, and happy AkuRoku day!

* * *

As soon as he stepped into the lobby, he smelled it.

Granted, he didn't have a phenomenal sense of smell, but the scents were obvious to him. Anyone who stopped to think about it could smell it as well.

Blood.

Lust.

Money.

Lies.

And hatred.

A deep-rooted family grudge darker than the young man's jacket he wore that fateful December evening when he first set foot into the hotel. Yes, Axel Dylan definitely smelled something fishy brewing at the Starflower hotel, and it was _not _on the menu.

However, the Starflower hotel was not a dingy, shabby little inn in a backwater town. It was a high-end, five star hotel in Twilight Town's ritzy district. Its' lobby was laid with white tiled floors, painted with a dark purple starflower design (hence the name of the hotel). Gold garland wrapped around white marble columns that held up the ceiling, and a simple fountain splashed in the middle of the lobby. Though it may have been simple, it gave a sense of welcome to the hotel, the splashing water mingling with the clicking of shoes on the polished tiles, the low murmur of conversation, and the jingling of room keys.

But the scents lingered in the air, and if Axel took a deeper sniff, he could accurately detect a more sinister sense in the air, amidst the cheerful conversations of the upcoming Christmas holiday.

Yes, it looked to be the typical hotel murder mystery. And, being the youngest son of a Private Investigator, Axel was absolutely one hundred percent positive that he was going to _thoroughly_ enjoy his week here.

Especially if it involved that _delicious _blonde over at the front desk.

He had soft, spiky blonde hair, and lightly tanned skin. His eyes were like finely cut turquoise jewels that glittered and danced in the lights. A dark grey jacket hid his light frame, and a red scarf was wrapped around his neck. He seemed a bit shorter than Axel, and was around his age, too. Nineteen, or in his early twenties, give or take a few years. The slightly battered suitcase in his hand showed that he was a guest that did not venture here often.

Smirking, Axel picked up his own suitcase and began making his way to the blonde.

A _very _interesting week lay in store for him.

And most of it would circulate around the blonde, as it would turn out to be.

* * *

Roxas Fortuna gave a sigh. He felt so out of place at this fancy hotel he was staying at for the week. He was a pianist at Twilight Town University, and could not believe his luck when the Starflower hotel asked him to play the piano for the holidays. The hotel was a place Roxas had been to only once. And that was when he was five years old.

Running his fingers through his hair, Roxas stopped to take a look around the lobby. It was still as beautiful as he remembered. Lights twinkled in the garland that was wrapped around the marble columns, and the air smelled of...

Roxas took a deep breath. Cinnamon, peppermint, gingerbread, and...

Blood.

The blonde grinned. He _loved _murder mysteries with a passion, almost as much as he loved playing the piano.

_This is going to be quite a week, it seems. _Roxas gave a chuckle, and turned back to the front desk to fetch his keys.

"Here are your keys...oh! Axel!" The girl at the front desk handed Roxas his keys, but turned and gasped at the man standing nearby.

The blonde turned, too, and he also gasped. For a few minutes, Roxas had to re-teach himself how to breathe.

The man before him was _stunning. _His long, red hair let off a fiery aura around him, and his eyes were finely cut emerald gems set into a porcelain face. His lips were curved into an upward smirk, and his red jacket dressed his slender figure. A black scarf was wound around his smooth neck, and the quality of the cloth of both scarf and jacket flaunted his wealth.

A pink flush danced across Roxas' cheeks as the man stepped next to him. A scent of burning maple and something warm and sugary overtook him, sending Roxas' senses reeling. It was all he could do to stop himself from fainting at the man's feet.

"Good to see you, Axel. How are you?" The girl asked, fetching a key from the spot marked "315".

The man named Axel smiled. "I'm good, Amanda. And you?" He took the key from her hand.

"I am also doing well. Have a good stay, Axel." She smiled at him.

"Thank-you." Axel left the lobby, suitcase in tow.

And Roxas just stared. Finally, he found his voice. "Who is _that?"_

Amanda sighed. "Axel Dylan. He comes here every year for one week during the Christmas season. I think this is the first time he's come alone."

Roxas spluttered. "A-Axel Dylan?! As in, the son of Jordan Dylan, the private investigator?"

Amanda nodded. "The very same. I heard Axel wants to follow in his father's footsteps."

"Wow." Roxas was _definitely _counting his blessings. One: He got to stay at a ritzy hotel for a week. Two: He got _paid _for staying in the hotel, doing what he loved. And Three: An extremely breathtaking guest was staying there as well.

* * *

Axel grinned as he watched the blonde boy check into his room, which was down the hall from his own.

"Ohh, you're in for a world of surprise, blondie." With a smirk, Axel checked into his own room.

"What?" Axel turned to see the blonde staring at him. "You said something to me?"

Axel blinked. There was no way the blonde could've heard him! "Uh, yeah. How'd you..."

The blonde chuckled and pushed some hair behind his ears. "I have what my friend Demyx calls Musician's Ears. I hear better than most people do. I'm Roxas, by the way. Roxas Fortuna." He shook Axel's hand, his crystal blue eyes glittering.

Axel snickered. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Roxas. I'm Axel Dylan. Aren't you that child genius that plays the piano over at Twilight Town University?"

A neat blush dusted Roxas' cheeks. "Yes, that would be me. Seems I'm famous. And aren't you Axel Dylan, the youngest son of Jordan Dylan, the Private Investigator?"

Axel grinned. "It seems that fame has plagued us both. Well, Roxas, just let me know if you need help with anything."

Roxas nodded. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind." With that, he bounded down the hall to the stairs.

As the blonde went down to the dining hall, he couldn't help but laugh a little and smile slightly. Possibly the most _gorgeous _man in the hotel knew his name! Roxas was positive he was among some of the happiest people on earth right now.

* * *

"Wooow! The dining hall is so beautiful!" Roxas' eyes were as wide as the sun as he stepped into the dining hall, where he was to play the piano for the several dinner parties that occurred during the week. The ceiling was held up with marble columns, and decorated with beautiful mosaic tiles in the pattern of a beautiful night sky to give the illusion that you were dancing under the stars. A gorgeous crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, giving the room a sparkling glow. The floor was black, the tiles polished to a beautiful shine. The walls were painted with purple starflowers, the windows dressed with white curtains. Balconies were placed here and there on the higher walls, the railings hung with silver curtains. The black grand piano was placed near the door, on a polished white marble pedestal.

"I know. Ten years ago, a rather large amount of money was donated to the hotel for the dining hall to be renovated." Roxas turned to see his guide, a black-haired man by the name of Alan Mick.

"I love the dining hall. I come in here all the time just to see it. It just never gets old." Alan gave a sigh. "Well, I've got to get going. Let me know if you need anything!"

The blonde waved to Alan as he left the dining hall, closing the doors behind him.

Roxas smiled and strolled over to the piano, going up the marble steps to the piano, the music he was to play at the party tucked under his arm. He gently fingered the keys, wincing as he went. The piano was slightly out of tune, possibly from old age or the cold.

He sighed. "Oh well. No worries." Placing the music on its stand, Roxas sat down and began to play and tune the piano.

He smiled. It was quite a beautiful old piano. With a happy sigh, Roxas closed his eyes and began to sing.

_The shining stars._

_Oh, beautiful stars._

_Take me away._

_Far, far away._

_From this world _

_That I must come._

_The stars that shine-_

He stopped singing as something landed on his forehead.

"What? What's that?" Roxas reached up and touched his forehead. He brought his finger to his eyes to see a drop of red on his finger.

Another drop landed on his forehead, next to the other one.

Roxas looked up at the balcony above the piano and turned pale. His eyes grew wide. He opened his mouth and screamed.

* * *

Strolling the halls, Axel stopped and smiled as he heard piano music coming from the nearby dining hall. "Roxas." He murmured to himself.

Turning the corner, he heard singing. It was a beautiful tune, lifting, sailing, soothing. Like an angel's voice. The piano was just as beautiful, they mingled together like a smooth, graceful waltz.

And then, in the middle of the song, the voice stopped singing. The piano stopped playing. It was silent.

Axel furrowed his brow. "What's going on? Why did he stop?"

That's when his thoughts were broken by a shrill scream from the dining hall.

Axel picked up his pace fast, breaking into a run towards the dining hall.

As Axel rounded the corner, facing the dining hall's double door, Roxas came running out, his face pale, and two drops of red on his forehead. He fell into the redhead's arms, shaking and gasping.

"Roxas, what's happened? Is there something wrong?" The redhead examined the spots on Roxas' forehead. They appeared to be blood.

The blonde tried to calm himself down, to no avail. "I-I...Axel, there's a...in the dining hall...help me!" He grabbed at Axel's grey shirt, glancing over his shoulder.

"Calm down! Breathe!" Axel held the sobbing blonde in his arms. Slowly, he stepped into the dining hall, cradling a shivering, gasping Roxas.

"Axel, it's there. Above...right above the piano." He sobbed loudly on Axel's shoulder. "H-hanging on the balcony. Th-there."

Curious, the redhead stepped in front of the piano and looked up.

There was a body hanging from the balcony, dripping with blood.

And that's when Roxas fainted in Axel's arms.

* * *

Ooh, a cliffhanger! Mwahahaha....

Yes, I did write that song! I was reminded of a song called "Child of the Universe". It's a very nice song.

And no, Roxas is not the murderer. Neither is Axel. The murderer will appear later.

But, the real question is....

Whodunit? (plays dramatic music in the background)

I know who it is! You're going to have to either find out at the end, or find it out yourself.

Who do you think did it? Are there any special little quirks you want me to add? Did I miss anything?

Have fun investigating!

-Rose

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

Rose: Hey guys!

Welcome to chapter two of Blood Under the Mistletoe!

I'm going to do a little advertising here: Noajik is starting a fantastic AkuRoku story called 'Masquerade'. It takes place in Italy, and it sorta-kinda inspired me to write this, along with the dream.

(waves) Okay, let's get down to business.

Rule number one: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. That would be Square-Enix and Disney. I also do not own 'Jane Marple: A Murder is Announced'. That is a book written by Agatha Christie, not me. (It was also made into a movie.)

Rule number two: Axel and Roxas are not the murderers. This is a yaoi story, don't like, don't read.

Rule number three: I want a cookie. (I'm hungry, just so you know.)

Are we clear? Got it memorized? Oh wait, that's Axel's line.

So, let's begin!

* * *

"Tell us again _exactly _what happened." The mustached man looked down at the shivering blonde boy, who had been wrapped in a blanket and given a hot chocolate.

The boy, Roxas, gave a loud sniffle. "Well, I w-was practicing the piano. I-I was hired by the hotel to play at the Christmas parties this week. While I was p-practicing, something landed on m-my forehead. I looked up to see th-the b-body..." He broke down into sobs again.

The officer ran a hand through his hair. "You're not making this easy for us, kid."

Axel scowled at the man. What right did he have to interrogate Roxas when the poor kid had just seen a dead body?

After Roxas had fainted, Axel had called the police, who arrived on the scene quickly. They had fixed Roxas up with a blanket and hot chocolate, but he still wasn't able to calm down.

Sighing, the redhead drifted over to where they were examining the body. "Who's the victim?" He asked, peering down at the man. He looked to be in his early-to-mid thirties. He had black hair, and he was dressed in a fine suit. Blood dripped from his neck.

The people examining the body looked up at him. One was a girl with brown hair. She wore a name tag that read "Alicia", and held a clipboard. "His name is Max Walther. Thirty-four years of age. Lives in Hollow Bastion. Businessman. His wife just confirmed the identity, they're both guests here. Or, at least he was." She corrected herself, checking her notes.

The other was a man with blonde hair. His name tag read "Sammy". "Death was by blood loss, a knife wound to the throat. Not by hanging. And we don't think that kid..what was his name?" Sammy pointed over to Roxas, still being interrogated by the officer.

Axel bristled. "His name is Roxas."

Alicia sighed. "I told you so! Anyway, we don't think that Roxas killed him."

"Oh?" Axel raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"He's really heavy. It took both of us to carry him over here." Said Sammy. "Whoever killed him also hung him on the balcony. Roxas is pretty...small. There's no way he could even lift this guy, much less carry him."

Axel got a closer look at the man. A long cut ran along his neck, blood spilling out.

"Yeesh. Looks like a hunting knife." He grimaced.

Sammy and Alicia looked up at Axel. "How would you know that?" Alicia asked, eyebrows raised.

"My father once did a case where the victim died by a stab wound to the stomach. The cut was from a hunting knife. This looks to be of a similar pattern. And yes, we caught the guy. He's not a serial killer." He added, seeing the frightened looks on Alicia and Sammy's faces.

They both calmed down as Roxas came over to the group. "He doesn't think I did it." Said the blonde shakily. He leaned on Axel's shoulder, still shivering.

"Well, it's obvious that you couldn't carry this guy." Said Alicia. "Besides, we think he died somewhere from eight to ten minutes before you arrived in the dining hall." She pointed to the drying blood. "It's clotting, but still dripping-"

"I don't feel very well." Roxas turned pale.

Axel glanced at Alicia and Sammy. "I'll take him back." He put an arm around Roxas' shoulders, steadying the blonde. Together, they left the dining hall.

Sammy looked at Alicia. "Oh sure, make the poor kid feel sick after he sees a body."

Alicia whacked him with her clipboard.

* * *

Walking back to the hotel room, Axel noticed that several people crowded them, comforting and consoling Roxas. Word had obviously spread.

The blonde boy was indifferent. The far-away look in his blue eyes dictated that he wanted nothing more than to sleep.

After they had passed the last crowd, Axel started talking to Roxas. "Do you have any siblings?"

The blonde looked up at him. "Yeah, I do. Have you ever heard of Sora Fortuna?"

Axel blinked. "That famous violin player?"

Roxas nodded. "He's my older twin brother."

"Wow. Guess we both live in the shadows of older siblings." He chuckled. "My older brother-"

"...is Reno Dylan, the famous detective. I'm not stupid, Axel." Roxas snapped. Now that he waso breaking out of his stammering, shivering stupor, he seemed to become more irritable.

"Whoa, sorry, Roxas." Axel backed up a little.

Roxas sighed. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."

The two continued to walk together down the hall. As they reached Roxas' room, the blonde turned around. "I'm not afraid."

Axel raised an eyebrow. "Beg pardon?"

Roxas cleared his throat. "I'm not afraid to play the piano in the dining hall. So hopefully, you're not too afraid to come to the dinner party." He chuckled.

The redhead smirked. "Of course I'll be there. I'd love to hear you play again. You're very talented, you know."

The blonde smiled. "Thank-you, Axel."

He took out his key and opened up the door to his room. "I also really appreciate the fact that you looked after me while I was incapacitated." He murmured.

A light flush crawled up Axel's cheeks. "Well, no problem. I wasn't just going to leave you there on the floor."

A pink tint was coloring Roxas' face as well. "It means a lot to me. Thank-you."

* * *

Once he made sure that Roxas was safe inside his room, Axel headed back to the dining hall to do some investigating of his own.

Strolling the hall he had been walking down earlier, Axel noticed that several rooms lining the hall-conference rooms, private party banquet rooms, ballrooms-all very beautiful, but none quite as breathtaking as the dining hall.

Another thing Axel noticed was that a good number of these rooms led to balconies in the dining hall.

"So, he could have been murdered on the balcony, or in one of these rooms." Axel muttered to himself. "The possibilities are practically endless."

"Axel!" The redhead turned to see Roxas standing there, across the hall.

"Roxas! What are you doing here?" Axel hissed.

The blonde strode over to him. "I want to help. Maybe there was something that they missed that I can remember."

Axel chuckled. "Are you thinking like Agatha Christie's 'Jane Marple: A Murder is Announced'?"

Roxas flushed a bright pink. "I may be. But it can still apply to real life."

Axel sighed. "All right, you can come along. Just..be careful, okay? The murderer might still be around, and might not be too happy that you discovered his-or her-victim."

The blonde reached out and took Axel's hand. "I'll stay with you. Like I said earlier, I'm not dumb."

"No, you said that you're not stupid."

"Same thing!"

* * *

First, the pair investigated the dining hall. All was as it had been earlier, minus the people and dead body, which had been taken to the police headquarters.

Roxas looked around the room. "Axel, do you know if there's a staircase here that leads to the balconies?"

With a grin, Axel strolled over to the far left corner. There, leading up to the balconies, was a slender, ebony staircase. It was wrapped in silver garland that twinkled with red and green lights. Small gold ornaments hung from it, twirling and glowing in the light, and the decorations had been strung throughout the railing.

The two ascended to the upper layer of the dining hall. Halfway across the walkway, Roxas suddenly knelt down and took something in his hand. It was a broken ornament.

"Axel, look! The murderer must have knocked this off by accident when he was dragging the body. And there are some more here, too. That means the murder might have occured up here."

Axel grinned. "Excellent! Let's start looking."

They began to enter the rooms leading to the balconies, checking for blood spatter, a weapon, or anything that suggested a murder might have taken place there.

Unfortunately, they both came up empty-handed.

"I don't see how this is possible! It takes time to get blood stains out of carpet. They don't just disappear. Surely we would've found something by now." Axel ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh.

Roxas scratched his head. "It's very confusing. Perhaps he was murdered somewhere in the dining hall other than the upper levels?"

"Good idea. Let's search the rest of the dining hall."

Roxas and Axel went back down the stairs to investigate the rest of the dining hall when Axel noticed something at the bottom of the stairs. Bending down, he retrieved it and held it carefully in his fingers.

It was another broken gold ornament. It was cracked all the way down the middle, almost broken in half. But there was something that made it different than the others.

Blood spatter.

Holding it in his hand, Axel turned around. Minute spatters of blood rested on the garland, blending in with the twinkling red lights.

"Roxas!" He called to the blonde, who was a few feet ahead of him. "I think I found something."

As Roxas joined Axel on the last step, he took the ornament and examined it.

"A blood-spattered ornament." He murmured. "Axel, what do you think this means?"

The redhead turned toward the wall. There, right in the middle of the purple starflower pattern, were more spatters of blood.

"Of course." Axel said, more to himself than Roxas. "Dark purple paint hides red well. What it means, Roxas, is that we are currently standing on the spot where the victim was murdered."

* * *

Ooh, cliffhanger!

You probably all hate me. Too many cliffhangers, and it's only the second chapter, right?

Don't worry, the next chapter won't be as cliffhanger-y as this chapter (and the previous chapter) was.

In fact, my plans call for much fluff in the upcoming chapters.

So, get ready for lots of fluff coming up!

Also, Alicia and Sammy have minor parts, but I'm not sure if they'll show up again. Do you think they should make another appearance, or will that take too much away from the plot?

Thanks for reading, please review!

-Rose

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

Welcome, welcome! (waves)

Chapter three of Blood Under the Mistletoe is here!

Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, then I would also own Final Fantasy. If I owned Final Fantasy, Kadaj wouldn't have gone poof. End of story.

And, hmm...

This chapter has lots and lots of fluff in it! Also, the next chapter calls for lots of fluff.

So, hopefully this will make up for the cliffhangers and drama in the last chapters! Enjoy!

* * *

"We're standing on the crime scene? Yikes! We're contaminating evidence!" Roxas squeaked, jumping behind Axel.

The redhead chuckled. "Relax, Roxas. We're okay. But we do need to contact the police about this."

Nodding, the blonde took his hand, and the two left the dining hall together.

Meanwhile, a figure in the shadows cursed lightly. It crept back through a door no one had seen, and closed it.

"Well?" A sharp female voice demanded. "What happened?"

A gruff male voice answered. "They're putting the pieces together. I fear it is only a matter of time before they discover-"

"Quiet! They won't find out! Everything will go according to plan. Don't worry." The lady snapped back. "That pianist and the detective's son will be dealt with shortly."

* * *

"Okay, WHAT?!"

Roxas sighed. After leaving the dining hall, he and Axel made their way back to the lobby to find Axel's older brother Reno standing there.

The older Dylan brother waved to Axel. He looked like Axel, and even spoke like Axel. It sort of freaked Roxas out. Despite the fact Sora was not only his brother, but his TWIN brother, they didn't look a lot alike.

"Relax, little bro. I just heard there was a crime here. I'm just making sure you're okay." Reno smirked at Roxas. "Hey! Who's this supposed to be?"

Roxas cleared his throat. "Roxas. Roxas Fortuna, sir."

Reno shook his head. "Call me Reno. Everyone does. It's my name, yo!" He laughed. Roxas and Axel groaned.

"But let's be serious, now. Are you, or are you not, the same Roxas Fortuna at Twilight Town University? The piano prodigy?" Reno questioned him.

The blonde nodded. "That would be me si-Reno."

"Take care of my brother, okay. He's a little-" Reno was about to finish his sentence when Axel interrupted.

"Reno, someone needs you over there." He said, pointing to the other end of the room.

"Really?" Reno looked around. "Who?"

"Everyone over here."

Roxas laughed. Things weren't like this with himself and Sora. He couldn't joke around with his twin like Axel and Reno.

When Sora went to college, he chose a large, well-known university called Destiny Islands University, where he got in with a musician's scholarship.

Even though Roxas had been playing the piano since he was young, he didn't receive a scholarship for Twilight Town University. He got in with blood, sweat, and tears (not really blood, but...), and with lots of encouragement from his family.

His friend Demyx envied him. Demyx had a marvelous talent for music, but his parents didn't allow him to pursue it. They argued that he had to chose a career that had to do with smarts more than talent.

So, Demyx had closed his eyes and jabbed his finger at whatever career choice.

He got Private Investigation.

That meant, while Demyx was away at College of Hollow Bastion, studying Criminal Investigation, Sora was at Destiny Islands University, playing his violin, and Roxas was playing his piano over at Twilight Town University.

Despite that, Demyx and Roxas had grown closer as friends, while Roxas and Sora drifted farther apart.

Which was why Roxas was absolutely confused when Sora blew a gasket upon hearing that Roxas had taken the job at the Starflower Hotel for the holidays.

_~Flashback~_

_"Roxas! What the Hell?!" Sora screeched at his younger twin through the phone._

_"Why are you so mad at me?" Roxas hollered back, yanking the phone from his ear. "I need the money! Mom and dad agreed to it!"_

_Sora growled."But it's over the holidays! It's one of the few times of the year when we're together!"_

_"Then you shouldn't have gone so far to Destiny Islands University!" _

_"Maybe YOU shouldn't have gone to Twilight Town University!"_

_Roxas slammed the phone down._

_~End Flashback~_

"Roxas? Hellooo?" Axel looked at Roxas with confusion. The blonde seemed down. His glittering blue eyes dimmed. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Huh?" Roxas looked up at Axel. The redhead's face had confusion and worry written all over it.

"Are you okay? You've got this really faraway look in your eyes. Do you need to go back upstairs to your room?" Axel wondered.

Roxas shook his head. "No, I'm fine. Thanks for asking, though." He grinned at Axel, then paused. "Where did Reno go?"

"I told him that we found the crime scene. He went to go report it to the police. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine!" Roxas smiled. "Really, I was just...thinking." He started walking to the elevator.

Axel fell into stride with him. "I don't mean to pry, but...thinking about what?"

"About my brother, Sora. I've really fallen out of touch with him. We were never close, even though we were twins." Roxas said, pressing the correct button on the elevator.

"Where is he now? I know he's a violin prodigy, but where does he study?" Axel asked Roxas. He had a feeling that he was infringing on a rather sensitive topic.

Roxas sighed and leaned against the wall. "Last time I checked, he was studying at Destiny Islands University."

Axel blinked. "Whoa! You two are pretty far apart then, huh?"

The blonde nodded. "Yeah. Now he seems more like a friend. I've grown closer to my friend, Demyx, though. He goes to school at College of Hollow Bastion. Studying to be a Private Investigator."

"Okay, now this is freaky. Is his last name Tallis, by any chance?"

Roxas looked up. "Yeah! Don't tell me you know him!"

Axel laughed. "I do! My dad tutored him for a while!"

The blonde laughed, too. "Small world, then!" The elevator _ping-_ed, and they stepped inside.

"By the way, you do know that the dinner party is in an hour?" Roxas quizzed Axel.

The redhead slapped his forehead. "I completely forgot!"

Roxas chuckled as they reached their floor. "Did you have any big plans for tonight?"

Axel shook his head. "No...but I'd cancel them anyway, Roxas. I would love to hear you sing." He smirked.

_"You sing like an angel."_

_

* * *

_That night was one of the most magical nights Roxas could ever remember. The dining hall was full of lights and quiet conversations. Ladies dressed in expensive ball gowns, men in sharp black tuxedoes. A Christmas tree was in the corner, glittering with green, red, and silver lights. Ornaments twirled in the glow, and the painted night sky above brought an almost mystical atmosphere to the room

Roxas felt overwhelmingly out of place in his white silk shirt and black pants, worn only once, to his cousin's wedding.

_That's it. I'm leaving. _He turned to the door, and walked right into a warm body.

"Why, Roxas! I didn't expect to see you there!" A warm chuckle, and a voice that Roxas knew well.

"Hi Axel." The blonde muttered into the fabric of Axel's shirt. He pulled away, and almost passed out.

Axel looked absolutely _stunning. _A black jacket over a white shirt, black pants, and black shoes. Not overly done, but enough to knock any girl off her feet.

Or, in this case, knock Roxas off his feet.

"Y-you look good." Roxas mumbled, blushing furiously.

"What? I can't hear you. Speak up." Axel said, cupping a hand to his ear.

"You look good." Roxas repeated, only a bit louder.

The redhead smirked. He had heard the blonde perfectly well. "Speak up, Roxas."

Roxas cleared his throat, still blushing madly. "I said, you look good."

Axel grinned. "Thanks. You too."

Roxas stared as Axel made his way through the crowd. Axel had complimented him.

This was going in the books.

"Good evening." Everyone jumped as the hotel manager stepped up to the stage. "Tonight, I am pleased to introduce Roxas Fortuna. He is a student at the Twilight Town University, and will be playing several piano pieces for us tonight. So, please enjoy." He stepped off the stage, and everyone clapped.

With legs that suddenly turned to jelly, Roxas made his way to the stage. He sat down at the piano and opened up his music.

Then he looked out at the crowd.

Packed house.

Usually, that meant a good thing. But for Roxas, those little caterpillars in his stomach morphed into butterflies, and he felt like he was going to choke.

Then he saw Axel.

The redhead had chosen the best seat in the house-right up by the stage. He winked at Roxas and gave him the thumbs-up.

All worry suddenly vanishing, Roxas took a deep breath and smiled.

_I'm not scared._

_

* * *

_Well! Slight cliffhanger, but it's definitely not as intense as the last two.

Reno makes an appearance, we learn a bit about Roxas' past, and his relationship with his twin brother, Sora, and Roxas almost loses the show to stage fright.

This chapter was mostly Roxas-centric, I guess. Don't know why. I really didn't like the way I wrote it in my journal at first, so I changed it on the computer, and this is how it turned out.

I'm really sorry I've been neglecting you guys so much. School has started, and it's been a whirlwind for me.

BUT! I now have a deviantArt account as Rhapsody-Shaman. I've put some pictures up there, and...yeah.

Not much else to say. Hopefully, I can crank out the fourth chapter for Stroke of Midnight this week, too.

Hang in there, guys! I really appreciate it!

-Rose

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

Hey there, guys!

Welcome to chapter four of Blood Under the Mistletoe! I have a few things to say before we start:

I'm REALLY SORRY that I had to delete Stroke of Midnight. It wasn't going anywhere in my brain, nor did I like the way it ended in the journals, so I decided to get rid of it.

On the bright side, though, I've caught up with my studies and earned some computer time back. I'll be on more often, but less than usual.

On the even brighter side, I have been constructing quite a few stories for you guys, including a Spiritshipping multi-chapter, the sequel to A MarySue Lands in Patch Village, and a few bonus surprises.

Now, onto the fic! Sorry this one's a little shorter than the rest. Even though it was longer in the rough draft, I didn't like the extra stuff I added in.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. I don't even own the new 358/2 Days game! (Partly because I don't own a Nintendo DS....) I also don't own Final Fantasy. You dig?

So, we move on to the next chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

Axel watched the trembling blonde with worried eyes. Was Roxas going to choke? Would he play at all?

Roxas turned slightly to Axel. The redhead grinned and gave him the thumbs-up, winking.

He saw Roxas blush slightly and turn back to the piano. Then the blonde raised his hands, opened his mouth, and began the performance.

Now, coming from a rich family had given Axel a lot of opportunities in life. One such opportunity was that he got to attend dinner parties and performances such as this one.

He recalled a performance from a few years ago. They were celebrating his older brother Reno's first successful case with his partner, Rude.

His parents had hired a quartet, consisting of two violinists, one cellist, and a pianist.

Axel had to admit, at the time, he had thought that the group's music was the best that he had heard in a long time.

Until he heard Roxas sing.

The quartet was nothing compared to Roxas.

On his own, the blonde was spectacular.

But with the piano, it was....

Axel actually didn't have a word for the blonde's playing. Perfect? Gorgeous? Stunning?

All of the above.

* * *

Roxas gave a sigh as he reached the final verse. Things were going well. The audience wasn't booing him off the stage, nor did he feel like he was going to puke.

But when the last note faded, Roxas noticed something.

Being a musician for most of his life, Roxas knew the difference between a good performance, and a perfect performance.

At the end of a good performance, the audience clapped for you. Sometimes, you got a standing ovation.

But at the end of a perfect performance, the audience was silent, transfixed on that last note.

And that's what Roxas heard after his own performance-or rather, what he didn't hear.

Until the audience broke into a thunderous applause-Axel included.

And that alone was enough to make Roxas' heart flutter. Even if Axel was the only one in the audience, it wouldn't matter. As long as he was there.

With greater confidence in himself and his music, Roxas went into the next song with a flourish.

* * *

At long last, the dinner party was over. Roxas watched as guests began to file out of the dining hall, his eyes searching the crowd for that long mane of red hair.

The flash came to him a few minutes later, the blonde stepping down from the stage to join the redhead. "Axel."

"Roxas. That was amazing!" Axel grinned. "I had heard that you were a genius, but that was phenomenal!" He put a lose arm around Roxas and gave him a hug.

Pink tinged the blonde's cheeks. "Thanks, Axel. It really means a lot to me."

The two left together, chatting about nothing, and yet everything at the same time. Finally, the two made their way to the elevator, and then to Roxas' room.

"Thanks for escorting me, Axel." Roxas smiled, eyes glittering.

"No problem, Roxas." Axel grinned, but it quickly faded when his eyes caught the branch hanging above their heads.

Roxas raised an eyebrow. "Axel? Something wrong?"

"Uh, Roxas? You might want to look up." Axel pointed.

The blonde turned his blue eyes upward, and nearly fainted.

Mistletoe.

"I guess....that means we have to...." Roxas blushed.

"If you're not really into that kind of stuff, I understand, but..." Axel rubbed the back of his head. He leaned in slowly, not wanting to scare the blonde off.

"I really kind of like you, Roxas."

Roxas closed his eyes, blushing bright cherry. "Me too, Axel. Except with you."

Axel leaned in, gently pressing his lips to Roxas', enjoying the soft feeling, and noting how the taste of vanilla was rather prominent.

Roxas gave a contented sigh, much like a cat, as he relished in the warmth that radiated off Axel.

But soon, far too soon, it was over. The two pulled away, eyes wide, fingers lightly touching their lips, as if they couldn't believe what had just happened.

Yet it had happened.

Axel Dylan had kissed Roxas Fortuna.

* * *

The next morning, Roxas spent the first hour and a half pacing around in his hotel room in a daze, playing and replaying last night's events.

First, he had played at the dining hall.

Then, Axel had kissed him under the mistletoe.

_Is this for real? _Roxas brushed his fingers over his lips. Part of him wanted to jump up and down, whooping and laughing.

The other part...not so much.

Roxas paused mid-pace. He knew what he had to do.

He needed to see Axel.

* * *

BLARGH. IT'S DONE.

So, that's the fourth chapter, which all of you have been waiting EVER-SO-PATIENTLY for. I thank you for putting up with my scatter-brainedness.

Next chapter, we dive back into the cliffhangers, and I introduce the murderers!

By the way, I'm not at fault if you got a cavity from the fluff in this chapter.

-Rose


	5. Chapter 5

WAHOO! It's summer, and now I actually have access to the site!

You all hate me right now, yes? I haven't updated anything in centuries. I've been watching Kuroshitsuji and Devil May Cry, durrhurr.

So, here is the next chapter of Blood Under the Mistletoe.

Oh, and I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.

* * *

Roxas anxiously made his way down the hallway. He had what Demyx called the "After-Show Shakes". It was when you had never fully recovered from the musical/drama/whatever performance you had just had.

The blonde had all the signs. His hands trembled and twitched, his breathing was heavy, a flushed face, swallowing every five seconds, sweating, turning to look over his shoulder all the time...the works.

But it wasn't the "After-Show Shakes". Oh, no. Something much more complicated.

Love? Roxas sure hoped so.

* * *

Axel glanced at the clock as he pulled his pants on. He needed to hurry if he wanted to meet Roxas down for breakfast...and maybe talk about last night.

He didn't know if Roxas was at all comfortable with what he had done. The redhead knew that _he _was plenty comfortable with it. He felt a special vibe with Roxas.

But did the blonde pianist feel that way, too?

Suddenly, there was a knock on his door. "A-Axel?"

The redhead paused. "R-Roxas? Is that you?"

"I...would like to speak with you."

"I want to speak to you too, Roxas. Here." Forgetting he wasn't wearing a shirt, Axel opened the door.

"I wanted to-Axel!" Roxas' face flushed.

"Huh?" Axel looked down. "Ah! Sorry!" Grabbing his shirt from off the bed, he pulled it on. "Sorry about that. I've been lost in thought recently."

Roxas entered the room and sat on the bed. "You're not the only one."

Axel sat with him. "About last night, listen...I...kinda like you, Roxas, but if you-"

Suddenly, the door slammed open. It was none other than...

"Reno?" Axel stood up as his older brother stood panting in the doorway. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, nothing." The redhead straightened himself up casually. "Except that a person died, and someone else almost kicked the bucket, too."

* * *

"It was terrible! I was so afraid!" The black-haired man clutched at his shoulders. "I felt the poison dip into my stomach, and the world grew dizzy. Everything spotted black, and I feared for my life! And my sister! What would happen if I ever left my poor sister?" The brunette woman next to him dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief.

They were Olivia and Micheal Kolven. Apparently, someone had ringed Micheal's coffee cup with poison, while the other victim had the poison dipped directly into his tea.

The other victim? Max Walther's father, Greg. (Rose: Remember Max Walther, everyone? Our first victim?)

Reno sighed as the brother and sister pair burst out in tears for what was the third time during that interview. He looked over at Roxas and Axel, who had joined him.

"Er...Rox? Axel? Mind going back to the hotel for a bit? I think we can handle it from here."

Axel shrugged and grabbed his coat. "Yeah, sure. Coming, Roxas?" He held out his hand to the blonde.

Blushing, Roxas took his hand. "Uh-huh."

* * *

"Okay, so here are their full accounts, and a timeline." Reno tossed the folders over to Axel and Roxas. The three of them were in Axel's room, lounging around on the beds. Roxas was nestled into the crook of Axel's arm. "See what you can find."

"Micheal Kolven and his sister went to breakfast around 9:00 AM. Greg Walther and his brother's wife, Caitlin, and their family joined shortly after. Olivia ordered hot cocoa and her brother got coffee. Greg Walther ordered tea, blah blah blah..." Axel flipped through the report aimlessly.

"Here we go: Micheal Kolven's coffee was brought to his table, along with the other drinks, at 9:16. Greg Walther's family got their drinks two minutes later, at 9:18. Uhh...Greg began to feel the effects first, three minutes after the drinks were brought, and Micheal felt the effects a minute or so later. They both collapsed at 9:20, after a concerned guest tried CPR, medics were called and arrived at 9:25, and they pronounced Greg Walther dead at 9:46. Micheal Kolven regained consciousness at 9:50." As Axel read, Roxas began writing furiously on a notebook Reno had brought him.

"Whatcha got, Rox?" Axel leaned over to look at Roxas' handwriting.

There were five boxes. Roxas pointed to the first box, which had 'different victim' written on it. "These are my theories. Theory one: Someone else was a victim in the restaurant, it was only happenstance that Micheal Kolven and Greg Walther received the cups." He pointed his pen at Reno and nodded. "Did the cups come back with any poison?"

Reno nodded. "Yup. A powerful painkiller. It had been crushed and ringed around Kolven's cup, and dissolved in Walther's drink, but neither dose was very lethal. However..." He leaned in and motioned for Axel and Roxas to do so as well.

"Greg Walther has-or had-a heart condition. Any amount of that painkiller would have been enough to kill him." Reno sat back on his haunches. "So whoever did it really wanted to kill Walther, because they knew he had a heart condition."

Axel nodded grimly. "The fact that his son had just been murdered probably didn't help much with that, either. The killer was planning on it."

Roxas sighed. "So that rules out that theory-and the theory that Kolven was the real victim." The blonde put 'X' marks next to both boxes.

Axel leaned back, causing Roxas to squawk as the redhead almost smushed him. "What's really got me is this:"

"If Greg Walther was the real victim, then why was there poison in Micheal Kolven's cup?"

Roxas cleared his throat, wiggling out from under Axel so he could go back to his original position. "One of my other theories is that they were both victims."

The Dylan brothers gave Roxas the thumbs-down. "No way. There wasn't enough painkiller to kill Kolven in either cup." Reno explained.

The blonde groaned as he scratched out the box. "All I have left is a really stupid theory, then!"

Axel reached over and took the notebook out of Roxas' hands. "What, the theory that Micheal Kolven was just a test subject? Roxas, that's genius!" He pulled the blonde into a crushing hug.

Roxas blushed. "Bu-but it's not even that good!"

Reno grinned. "Actually, it's perfect. I'll go and run the Kolvens through the database and see if anything comes up. Then, we can rule them out for sure!" He watched as Axel refused to let Roxas go. "Uh...I'll be right back."

He left, leaving Roxas and Axel all alone.

They looked up at each other, then both started talking.

"Axel, I-"

"Roxas, I-"

"Why don't you start first?" They both blurted out. Looking at the other's red face, they laughed.

"Sorry, Roxas. But see..." Axel moved forward, closing the space between them to put his hands on the blonde's face to trap his nose.

"...I really like you."

Roxas blushed. "I like you too, Axel."

They leaned forward. Three inches away. Now two, and then one. Just a couple more centimeters, and...

"Roxas! Axel! Come qui-OKAY!" Reno burst through the door, stopping as he saw his brother merely centimeters away from kissing Roxas. "...whoa."

They pulled away quickly, blushing. "Quit staring," Axel snapped. "Now what is it?"

Reno motioned them to come closer before pointing at the body hanging in front of the elevator.

"Oh. _That's _it."

* * *

MWHAHAHAHAA! Another cliffhanger!

Any guesses? (especially you, XloneXwriter! You love playing detective with Axel and Roxas!)

There are characters in this chapter that play a larger part besides Roxas, Axel, and Reno.

BUT I'M NEVER GONNA TELL! (runs away, laughing evilly)

So please review!

-Rose


End file.
